Roundabout amusement ride



Nov. 3, 1964 L. WlNTON 3,15

ROUNDABOUT AMUSEMENT RIDE Filed Aug. 29, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 l away W/n/on IN V EN TOR.

BY Z5157 Nov. 3, 1964 L. WINTON 3,

ROUNDABOUT AMUSEMENT RIDE Filed Aug. 29, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 la my W/h/on INVENTOR.

47' ENE Y ['7- T gy United States Patent Oflice.

3,155,389 Patented Nov. 3, 1964 3,155,389 ROUNDABOUT AMUSEMENT RIDE Lavoy Winton,'241 S. Clayton St., Mount Dora, Fla. Filed Aug. 29, 1960, Ser. No. 52,399 1 Claim. (Cl. 272-44) Thisinvention relates to amusement devices and is particularly concerned with a rotary vehicular device in which the occupant bearing seat ascends a circular ramp and is catapaulted therefrom in free space for descent in its circular path of travel.

Devices of this general character have heretofore been invented, amongwhich is that disclosed in the Bartlett Patent No. 2,895,735, issued July 21, 1959. In such devices a crucial element is the effective. and eflicient means by which the simulated free'flight is restrained to preclude any danger of violent impingement and undue shock as the seat'descends to the receiving support therebelow. In the device of the aforementioned patent an uninhibited ascent with controlled descent is accomplished by the use of a single acting hydraulic cylinder providing virtually no hydraulic resistance when a car moves upwardly on the ramp, but providing gravitational resistance by restricted hydraulic flow as the car descends. Since the cars or seats carry human occupants, it is of course of vital importance that every possible safety factor may be provided to insure against any failure by which an unrestricted descend might cause disastrous impact.

Applicants device provides a simple, effective, eflicient, conventional double, or two-way acting cylinder and piston arrangement ensuring positive control independent of piston check valves or the like. In conjunction therewith, or as an alternative thereto, the present invention also provides mechanical springs to bias towards an elevation of the seat and yieldable under the forces of gravity to permit a controlled descent of the car seat from the ramp. However, neither the hydraulic arrangement, nor the mechanical spring arrangement individually or in combination, are such as to deprive the motion of the seat in its circular path of travel from the exhilarating effect of the catapulted flight in free space.

Thus it will be seen that it is among the objects of the present invention to provide a novel and improved roundabout type of amusement apparatus characterized by the provision of means simulating a catapulted free flight of an occupant carriage from the end of an ascending ramp. It is also an object of the present invention to provide novel and improved means for precluding the possibility of free gravitation movement of the carriage by which injurious shock may be experienced at the end of the descent from the ramp. A more specific object of the invention is to provide novel and improved hydraulic means for controlling the descent of the carriage from the ramp, which means is double acting, restraining either ascent or descent, and which means provides a cushioning action as the carriage ascends and descends. A further object of the invention is to provide entirely mechanical means for restraining the movement of the carriage, which means may be used alone or in conjunction with fluid means, so that should the fluid system fail injurious results will not ensue. Numerous other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from consideration of the following specification taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which FIG. 1 is a top plan view of the present preferred embodiment of the invention,

FIG. 2 is a central sectional view of that form of the invention shown in FIGURE 1, taken on the lines 2-2 of FIGURE 1,

FIG. 3 is a detail fragmentary central section of the device, and

FIG. 4 is a detail fragmentary top plan view illustrating the cylinder and spring arrangement.

Referring to FIGURES 1 and 2 of the drawings, it will be seen that the invention is generally characterized by a central supporting structure 10, supporting in vertical position for rotation, .a central beam.11 which may be controlled and driven by any suitable means, as from a control and drive cabin illustrated at. 12. In a circular path co-axial with the beam 11 atrack or'runway 13 is provided, including an ascending ramp 14 terminating in a sharp decline 15. Pivotally mounted from the beam 11 and for rotation therewith, arearms 16 on the outer extremities of which are mounted seats 17. The seat structure 17 is' preferably supported while upon the runway 13 by wheels 18. The arms 16 arepivoted between upstanding lugs. 21 of a plate 22 carried by the beam 11 and rotated therewith. In operation, as the beam 11 is rotated with its pivoted arms 16, the seats travel upon the runway 13 except at such time as the seats are catapulted for simulated free motion from the ramp 14.

For restraining the pivotal movement of the arms 16, hence the flight of the seats 17 as they move from the end of the ramp 14, a structure including a truss is provided for the arms 16, each including a vertical truss bracket 19 formed intermediate the ends of the arms 16 and an associated truss bar 20 extending from the bracket 19 to the extremities of the arms 16 adjacent the mounting of the seats thereon. The restraining means itself is more clearly shown in FIGURES 3 and 4. One type of such means includes a piston rod 23 engaged at its outer end 23A with a head 26 fixed thereto at the upper end of the truss upright 19 and rigid with the truss rod 20. The piston rod 23 carries a solid piston 24 located within an hydraulic cylinder 25 which cylinder is pivotally connected as at 27 with a piston bracket mounted upon the outer face of the upper end of the beam 11 for rotation therewith in unison with the plate 22.

The upper end of the beam 11 defines a cylindrical fluid chamber 29 in the lower end of which there is provided hydraulic fluid indicated at 30 above which there is confined a gaseous fluid such as air, indicated at 31. The interface between the air and oil is indicated by the dotted line 32. For each cylinder there is provided a pair of oil lines 33 and 34, one leading from each end of the cylinder to the oil section of the chamber 29. Oil lines 33 and 34 provide restricted oil ingress and egress from the cylinders through the outer and inner end heads 35 and 36 respectively. Since the pistons 24 are solid Without provision for passage of hydraulic fluid through or about the pistons, movement of the pistons in either direction can be accomplished only through passage of the hydraulic fluid through lines 33 and 34. The upper end of the cylindrical chamber 29 formed at the top of the beam 11, is closed by a cap 37 provided with a removable closure 38 by which the oil 30 may be introduced into the chamber and an air valve 39 through which the air pressure over the interface 32 may be controlled.

A supplementary or alternative means for counteracting gravitational forces as the seats leave the ramp, is provided by a pair of springs 40 one on each side of each cylinder. At the piston bracket the inner ends of the springs are attached to a yoke 41 while the opposite ends of the springs are secured to an opposed parallel yoke 42 mounted on the head 26 of the truss arrangement. Thus, when the arms 16 are fully elevated as shown at the right of FIGURES 2 and 3, the coil springs are relaxed. Upon descent of the seat, the arms 16 move downwardly tensioning the springs 40, as illustrated to the left of FIG- URES 2 and 3. While the preferred present structure of the device as now in operation utilizes the hydraulic cylinder arrangement and the springs, it will be understood that the invention contemplates the possible use of either the cylinders or the springs as alternative means for controlling the descent of the seats. However, the enhanced safety factor of the utilization of both means, is believed advisable since should either means fail, the other will ensure safety of operation.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that the present invention provides a novel, simple and improved amusement device. The invention embraces the use of hydraulic cylinders and utilizes a two-way cylinder, avoiding the necessity of valving arrangements in the piston or cylinder by Which a one-way cylinder is provided. The invention further provides for the use of mechanical spring means to retard the downward movement of the arms and contemplates that the cylinder and spring arrangements may be either selectively used or preferably used jointly to enhance the safety factor. It will, of course, be understood that in the practice of the invention, numerous changes, modifications and the full use of equivalents may be resorted to without departure from the spirit or scope of the invention as outlined in the appended claim.

What I claim is:

A roundabout of the character set forth including, a central vertical rotary beam, arms pivotally mounted on said beam for rotation therewith, seats on said arms, an ascending curved ramp in the path of travel of said seats up which said seats are caused to travel as the beam and arms are rotated and whereby said arms are pivoted upwardly, an abrupt termination of said ramp providing an unsupported flight of said seats in free space whereby they tend to drop by gravity pivotally lowering the arms therewith, and double acting hydraulic means restraining the pivotal movement of said arms, said means including a chamber in said beam, hydraulic fluid in said chamber and a confined compressible fluid in said chamber, each of said hydraulic means being connected with said chamber whereby fluid expelled from the hydraulic means of each arm will pass into said chamber to be circulated and cooled therein.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,939,927 Shafler Dec. 19, 1933 2,784,968 Bakula Mar. 12, 1957 2,895,735 Bartlett July 21, 1959 2,922,648 Bradley Jan. 26, 1960 

